"Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle" will be shown in one three-hour
programming block on Tuesday October 15th, beginning at 7:00pm on WTVP-HD 47.1.

PBS announced that Tuesday, October 15, 2013, is “Superheroes Night,” featuring
a three-hour block dedicated to the groundbreaking program
SUPERHEROES: A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE.
The newest film from Emmy Award-winning producer/director Michael Kantor (BROADWAY:
THE AMERICAN MUSICAL; MAKE ‘EM LAUGH: THE FUNNY BUSINESS OF AMERICA) will
premiere at 7:00 p.m. on WTVP-HD, and include insightful interviews from Stan Lee; actors
Adam West (TV’s “Batman”) and Lynda Carter (“Wonder Woman”); Geoff Johns (chief creative
officer, DC Comics), Jeph Loeb (head of television for Marvel Entertainment); Pulitzer
Prize-winning author Michael Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay)
and cartoonist/author Jules Feiffer (the long-running strip “Feiffer”), as well as
appearances by the late comic book icons Joe Simon (co-creator of Captain America) and
Jerry Robinson (who helped create the Joker). A full list of interviewees who appear in
the show is located at the end of the release.

SUPERHEROES, cowritten by Kantor and Laurence Maslon,
was initially to premiere October 8th and play over three weeks, but the series will now be
a one-evening event of super entertainment.

Narrated and hosted by Liev Schreiber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine,
Showtime’s Ray Donovan), SUPERHEROES: A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE
is the first documentary to examine the dawn of the comic book genre and its powerful legacy,
as well as the evolution of the characters who leapt from the pages over the last 75 years
and their ongoing worldwide cultural impact. It chronicles how these “disposable diversions”
were subject to intense government scrutiny for their influence on American children and how
they were created, in large part, by the children of immigrants whose fierce loyalty to a
new homeland laid the foundation for a multi-billion-dollar industry that is now an
influential part of our national identity.

“SUPERHEROES: A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE is one of the
most comprehensive surveys of the vibrant comic book industry ever created; it explores cultural
histories in an entertaining and educational way — just as PBS viewers have come to expect,”
said Donald Thoms, Vice President, Programming and Talent Management for PBS.

SUPERHEROES will be presented in three one-hour parts:

PART ONE, 7:00pm: “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” (1938-1958)
During the Depression, the popularity of dozens of superhero characters opens the door for a
new generation of artists and writers. World War II creates a patriotic fervor for
star-spangled adventurers to represent the American spirit at war and on the home front, but
in the 1950s, superheroes are caught in the fire of government scrutiny and regulation. When
the thrilling “Adventures of Superman” is broadcast on the new medium of television, America’s
first and greatest superhero leads the entire comic book industry to renewed strength.

PART TWO, 8:00pm: “Great Power, Great Responsibility” (1959-1977)
In the 1960s, a new breed of superhero emerges in the pages of Marvel Comics, inspired by the
age of atomic energy and space travel and, in turn, inspiring the pop culture and pop artists
of the time. Spider-Man, the Hulk and others are the first to have “problems” with which an
adult audience can identify, and contemporary social issues make their way into comic books.
Black powerhouses such as the Black Panther and Luke Cage appear on the scene, and the pages
of “Green Lantern/Green Arrow” explode with relevant storylines as comic books are forced to
confront the reality of an increasingly complex world.

PART THREE, 9:00pm: “A Hero Can Be Anyone” (1978-Present)
Modern enthusiasm for superheroes has been embraced in all forms of media and by all
demographics, beginning with the historic Superman movie featuring Christopher Reeve
as the Man of Steel. In 1986, Batman is overhauled as The Dark Knight to reflect the nocturnal
underside of his character, and Watchmen bring new sophistication to comic book narratives,
illuminating a violent and politicized world. In the burgeoning new millennium, superheroes
have taken over popular culture with feature films, television shows and video games complementing
a new generation of web-based comics that bring superhero adventures to every corner of the world.

A new book based on SUPERHEROES: A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE,
titled Superheroes!: Capes, Cowls, and the Creation of Comic Book Culture and penned
by series co-writer Laurence Maslon and filmmaker Michael Kantor, will be available October 1,
2013, from Crown Archetype, a division of Random House. This stunning companion volume tells
the story of the superhero in American pop culture, with interviews, character biographies and
more than 500 illustrations both essential and rare.

PBS Distribution will release the DVD and Blu-ray version of SUPERHEROES:
A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE on October 15, 2013, coinciding with the PBS broadcast. The
DVD will be available for a suggested retail price of $24.99 and the Blu-ray will be available
for a suggested retail price of $29.99. The running time is 180 minutes and will include exclusive
extra features.

SUPERHEROES: A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE is produced by Ghost
Light Films in association with Oregon Public Broadcasting. Along with PBS, major funding for
the series was supplied by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Founded in 1996, Ghost
Light Films created the critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated six-part PBS series Make
‘Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, which was hosted by Billy Crystal and produced
by Thirteen/WNET New York, in association with BBC-TV. In 2005, Ghost Light Films produced
three hours of documentary material to accompany the 40th anniversary re-release of the film
The Sound of Music, including a documentary hosted by Julie Andrews. That same year,
Ghost Light garnered the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction series for
Broadway: The American Musical with Thirteen/WNET New York, NHK Japan and BBC in
association with Carlton International. Most recently Ghost Light created Broadway
Musicals: A Jewish Legacy (narrated by Joel Grey) for the GREAT PERFORMANCES series on
PBS. For more information, visit www.ghostlightfilms.net.

About PBS
PBS, with its over 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas
and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 120 million people
through television and over 29 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science,
history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class
drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most
coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital
content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and
its website, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners
in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available
at www.pbs.org, one of the leading
dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter,
Facebook or through our
apps for mobile devices.

###

For further information contact Linda Miller, WTVP Vice President of
Programming,
at (309) 495-0591 or linda.miller@wtvp.org